Doctor's Orders
by InvisiblePrincess2002
Summary: The second in my series of small stories about Captain Janeway and the Doctor after "Command Decisions." AU. While the Doctor adjusts to his new life as a human being, he gets in an argument with B'Elanna, and he begins to see himself in a different light.
1. Beloved Physician

**A/N: **This story is based on the television series, _Star Trek: Voyager,_ which as far as I know is the property of Paramount Pictures. **No infringement is intended.**

**Chapter 1: Beloved Physician**

Six weeks ago, the former Emergency Medical Hologram of the starship _Voyager_ made an appeal to the Creator of the universe, and He answered in a big way. After praying to Christ for forgiveness of all his sins, most notably the brutal command decision he had to make resulting in the deaths of two innocent Nali doctors, he felt the Lord, Himself personally breathe new life into him, and he was transformed into a human being. He became a living being for the first time.

When Captain Janeway and the rest of the _Voyager _crew learned of the Doctor's transformation, they were stunned to say the least. They were especially shocked when he explained to all of them that he only became human after he chose to put his trust in Jesus Christ. Captain Janeway immediately checked the ship's computer and sure enough, all files pertaining to _Voyager's _Emergency Medical Hologram were gone and the EMH could not be activated. She ordered Tom Paris to perform a thorough examination on the Doctor, and when he did, it was determined that his DNA was identical to that of Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, the man who created his holo-matrix. It was almost as if the Doctor were now Zimmerman's identical twin brother. The Doctor still had all the memories of his experiences during his life on _Voyager _and in many ways, he was still the same loveable egotistical hothead he'd always been. In other ways, though, he was deeply and profoundly changed, and it took a little time for both the Doctor and the crew to get used to it.

At Captain Janeway's direction, the crew conducted sensor sweeps of the area and they went over every square millimeter of both holodecks with a fine tooth comb, and they found no evidence of any kind of alien life or spatial anomalies or anything that could possibly explain the Doctor's transformation. Captain Janeway and the crew kept _Voyager _in its current position for the next several days, halfway expecting that Q would show up and let everyone know that it was he who'd made the Doctor human just to mess with him. But that never happened. Captain Janeway even spoke with the Doctor about his experience in the presence of Tuvok, who telepathically read the Doctor's mind during the conversation. Although Tuvok wasn't an empath, both his telepathy and all his years of experience working in Starfleet security told him that the Doctor was, in fact, being fully truthful about what had happened to him. Finally, even someone like Captain Janeway, who had been raised from birth to look at everything with a skeptical scientist's eye, had to accept that the Doctor was telling the truth about his sudden transformation and that some kind of greater power out there did in fact hear the Doctor's prayer and make him human. She wasn't willing to concede that that power was definitely Jesus Christ, but at the same time, she was willing to be respectful of the Doctor's spiritual beliefs, just as she would be with any other member of her crew.

Not long after the Captain made her peace with the Doctor's situation, two important changes transpired for the crew. First of all, Neelix rejoined the crew with his new family. The asteroid that Mr. Neelix had been living on with his new wife Dexa and his stepson Brax was suddenly targeted by two Borg cubes. Thankfully, a very large Nali ship was in the area and they answered the distress call Oxilon sent out. They helped Oxilon and Neelix gather up the five hundred Talaxians there and get them on the Nali ship, and the Nali ship quickly departed the asteroid before the Borg arrived. The Nali ship soon caught up to _Voyager_, and Captain Janeway was more than happy to receive Neelix back into the fold, along with Dexa and young Brax, while the Nali kindly offered to allow Oxilon and the other Talaxians to remain with them and become a part of their (already large) crew.

The second change that happened was something that the _Voyager _crew had been looking forward to for a long time now, Ensign Kim in particular. Because _Voyager _only had a crew of about one hundred and fifty people, there was no room for any real advancement in rank. However, since _Voyager _had been in two-way contact with Earth for quite some time now, Captain Janeway had long since made her wishes known to Starfleet Command to be able to give promotions to deserving members of her crew. It took the pencil-pushing, out-of-touch bureaucrats at Starfleet Command long enough, but they finally approved the Captain's request to bend the rules and allow her officers to advance in rank accordingly. Almost all of Captain Janeway's crew were promoted two ranks above their current one. Lieutenants Paris and Torres each became Lieutenant-Commanders, and thankfully, _finally_, at long, long, _long_ last, Ensign Harry Kim was promoted to the rank of full Lieutenant.

Other changes happened soon after everyone got promoted. Neelix's new wife Dexa was a nurse practitioner, and she was anxious to serve aboard _Voyager _and give the Doctor and Tom a hand in Sick Bay. After getting to know Dexa a little better, Captain Janeway soon came to like and admire her, and she decided to grant the Talaxian woman a field commission. As a trained nurse, Dexa had to start out at the rank of ensign like all nurses in Starfleet, but it was likely that after a year of service, she would be allowed to advance to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade like any other Starfleet officer. And since she was already a Talaxian nurse practitioner, the Doctor was certain that after another year of extensive instruction and training, Dexa could become a doctor in her own right. Dexa was very excited to become the Doctor's student and she very much looked forward to completing her medical training and becoming a Starfleet physician.

And there was a change in store for the Doctor as well. It took a good deal of arguing with Starfleet Command, but even though it had been difficult, Captain Janeway did manage to get her way in the end as she almost always did. (It sure didn't hurt to be on a first-name basis with a number of decorated Starfleet admirals!) Now that Starfleet Command agreed to her request, all that was left was for Captain Janeway to inform the Doctor. And for the Doctor to finally make an important decision.

Captain Janeway met the Doctor for lunch on Holodeck Two to inform him of the good news she had for him. Four months ago, after having been imprisoned by the Hierarchy aliens and being rescued, they'd begun having coffee together on the holodeck. During their coffee sessions, they always ran a program of a lovely sidewalk café in Buenos Aires that the Captain had always liked, and they were running that program today. They'd gone there for coffee quite a few times over the past few months, and in that time, they truly had started growing closer. Now that the Doctor was human, he no longer had to settle for the holographic illusion of drinking coffee with Captain Janeway. Now, he was able to have a real cup of coffee with her, and he was finally able to enjoy the pleasures of eating food, something he had desired for a long time. Captain Janeway wolfed down her lunch because she was so anxious to tell the Doctor her news, but the Doctor, new to food, took his sweet time, savoring every bite of the huge salad he'd ordered. Thankfully, the Captain was a patient woman and while she was anxious to talk to the Doctor, she could hardly blame him for enjoying his food so.

When the Doctor finally finished his last bite of food, Captain Janeway chuckled a bit, and she asked him with a smile, "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"I certainly did, Captain. Becoming human has opened up a whole new world to me. Now I finally know how it feels to enjoy a meal. To smell a pleasing aroma. To feel tired and experience the restfulness of sleep. To stub my toe. It's given me a whole new perspective."

"Well, while we're on the subject of your humanity, I've been talking some things over with Starfleet Command. Although they all find your story questionable, no one can deny the results of the examination Mr. Paris performed. You are, undoubtedly, a human being now. And it's clear that you still have all the memories of the past seven years intact. Your status as a person has always been in question as far as Starfleet is concerned, but that status can't be questioned any longer. _You are _a person now, and not even Starfleet Command can deny that fact. I got into some arguments about it with Starfleet Command, but I put my foot down and I insisted that Starfleet acknowledge your personhood and grant you the rank you deserve. They…_reluctantly_…agreed that it was time for you to finally be granted your own commission." The instant the Captain said that, the Doctor's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "All doctors in Starfleet start out with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade," she continued, "but I felt that given your past seven years of experience aboard _Voyager_, you deserved to be promoted two ranks just like most of the crew have been. I couldn't get Starfleet Command to go as far as to grant you the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, unfortunately. However, I did get them to agree to grant you the rank of full Lieutenant."

"I…I don't know what to say," the Doctor gasped, overcome with emotion. "I'm honored that you did all of this for me, Captain. Thank you."

"You deserve this, Doctor," Captain Janeway told him with a big smile, and although the Doctor smiled in return, the Captain was almost convinced that he was on the brink of tears. A few moments later, she said, "Now on to the next order of business. Simply addressing you as 'Doctor' isn't going to cut it anymore. Now that you officially have your own Starfleet commission, you need to have a name."

"I've been trying to find the right name for the past seven years without any success. I'm certainly open to suggestions if you have any."

"As a matter of fact, I do have one name in mind."

"I'm all ears. What is it?"

"Luke."

"Luke," said the Doctor, trying the name on for size.

"Given your newfound Christian faith, plus the history of the name Luke, it seems appropriate. After all, Luke was thought of as 'the beloved physician' in the days of the early Christian church. And here on _Voyager_, you're _our _beloved physician."

"Thank you so much for saying that," the Doctor told her in an emotional whisper. "It means a great deal to me to know you feel that way. It really does."

"Well then, let's make this official," said the Captain as she rose from her seat, and the Doctor stood as well. In the next moment, she bent down and pulled out a small black box she'd kept hidden underneath the table. When she opened the box, the Doctor saw two silver round pips, and he smiled. She then said, "Dr. Luke…wait. What about a last name? Zimmerman, perhaps?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't see much need for a last name, Captain. I'm more than happy to simply be known around here as Dr. Luke. Your beloved physician," he said rather smugly, and the Captain barely suppressed a chuckle.

"Very well. Dr. Luke, you are hereby granted a commission of Lieutenant." A couple of seconds later, Captain Janeway pinned the two silver pips on Dr. Luke's collar. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Captain," Dr. Luke whispered while she gave his hand an affectionate squeeze. Deep down he really wanted to reach out and give her a big hug to express his gratitude for all her efforts on his behalf, but he decided against it. Even though they were closer now, she was still his captain and like all officers under her command, he had to maintain a certain distance. He knew he had to remain respectful and maintain a certain level of professionalism with her at all times, even on the holodeck. The last thing he wanted was to make the Captain feel uncomfortable after everything she'd done for him.

"You're very welcome," she said with a kind smile. Several long moments later, she told him, "Well, I'd better get back to the Bridge."

"Yes, I should be getting back to Sick Bay as well."

"I'll see you at our next coffee session."

"Aye, Captain," Dr. Luke said with a nod, and then both he and Captain Janeway exited the holodeck together.


	2. Getting Slapped

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 2: Getting Slapped**

One week later, Dr. Luke gave Baby Miral her pediatric checkup, and then he and B'Elanna got into a discussion, and she had some things to say that were tough to hear.

"Why the long face, Dr. Luke?" asked B'Elanna after she clearly noticed him sulking.

"It's nothing, really," he said with a longwinded sigh. "I'm just feeling overlooked and ignored and unappreciated. _As usual._"

"Why are you feeling that way?"

Dr. Luke let out another annoyed sigh, and then he looked at B'Elanna and told her, "I had my big piano recital in the Mess Hall last night, and I really had my heart set on the Captain and the senior staff being there."

"Tom and Tuvok were there."

"Yes, but I wanted _everyone _to be there, especially the Captain. In case you haven't noticed, I've really been through a lot these past few weeks. There was that terrible incident aboard the _Idora _and then all of the sudden, I found myself praying to Jesus and the next thing I knew, I was human. I've been going through so many changes so suddenly and it's been very difficult. As you may have noticed, I've been mostly keeping to myself ever since what happened on the _Idora_. With the exception of my duty shifts and having coffee with the Captain on the holodeck, I've barely left the new quarters I've been assigned. Which are far too small, I might add. But I digress. The point is, my recital last night was a big step for me. I'm finally beginning to come out into the world again. And I really needed the Captain and the rest of the senior staff to be there. I needed everyone's support."

"Doctor, you know perfectly well that that Kalari alien we met three days ago tried to sabotage _Voyager's _systems by infecting our gel packs with a virus. We've been working constantly to keep the virus from spreading all the way through the ship. I for one haven't had a wink of sleep over the past forty-eight hours. I was barely able to get away from Engineering long enough to bring Miral here for her checkup."

"I know that the crew has other responsibilities besides me–" Luke began to say.

"_No_, you _don't_," B'Elanna interrupted. "Ever since you were first activated seven years ago, you have _constantly _expected all life on _Voyager _to revolve around you. Granted, you have a vast amount of knowledge and you are an incredible doctor. But still, you have got to get over yourself and stop expecting constant accolades and applause for everything you ever do. Newsflash, Dr. Luke: _you _are _not _the only brilliant, gifted individual aboard this ship, and you need to stop acting as if you are. It is high time that you got over this idea of yours that you are so far above the rest of us. It's as if you literally believe that the rest of us only exist to stroke your ego."

"That is not true and I resent that accusation!" Luke yelled, and then Miral started to cry. B'Elanna then held her baby daughter closer to her chest and soothed her, and she quickly quieted down.

"_It is _true, Doctor, and deep down, you know it," B'Elanna told him in a quieter voice. "You're simply too proud and stubborn to admit it. And I'll tell you something else. No matter how much you've been through recently, it doesn't hold a candle to the kind of hell Captain Janeway has had to endure."

"What are you saying?"

"I know that what you went through on the _Idora _was very painful. I'm not denying that. But still, your experience aboard the _Idora _was only a small taste of the kinds of things Captain Janeway has been going through every day for the past seven years. You cry and whine to me about the lack of emotional support you've been getting. How much emotional support do you really believe Captain Janeway has had during our journey through the Delta Quadrant? She doesn't have the luxury of crying on someone's shoulder every time things get painful and difficult like the rest of us do. She's the captain. She has to carry burdens far heavier than yours will ever be, but _unlike_ _you_, she never complains. She doesn't expect a great big round of applause from everybody every time she walks on the Bridge. She just gets out of bed every day and does her job without making a big fuss about it. You could learn a lot from her," B'Elanna told him truthfully as her eyes bore into his. Then a few moments later, she left Sick Bay with Miral, and Luke just stood there, feeling as though B'Elanna had just slapped him.

* * *

Two days later, after the crew had finally solved the problem with the gel packs, Dr. Luke was sitting alone at a table in a jam-packed Mess Hall, reading something on a PADD. Neelix could clearly see the scowl on Dr. Luke's face, so as _Voyager's _Chief Morale Officer, he decided to try and help.

"Hello, Dr. Luke," said Neelix, and Luke briefly glanced up from his PADD.

"Hello, Mr. Neelix," he sighed.

"Mind if I sit down?"

"Please," said Luke as he set the PADD down on the table. "I'd appreciate the company."

"I can tell you're not having such a great day today. What's wrong?" he asked as he took his seat across the small table from Luke.

"Two days ago, after I had given Miral her latest checkup, B'Elanna and I got into an argument. In a nutshell, she accused me of being arrogant and egotistical. She said that I always expect all life on _Voyager _to revolve around me; that I constantly expect accolades and applause for everything I ever do. Naturally, I was deeply insulted at B'Elanna's ridiculous and unfounded accusations. And now that I have a relationship with the Creator of the universe, I was hoping…expecting…to look into the pages of Scripture and find comfort. Instead, I found just the opposite."

"What did you find?"

"I was just reading chapter twenty-seven of the book of Proverbs. There was one verse that really stuck out, and it was _not _a comfort to me at all. Verse six. It says, 'Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.' It's almost as if Jesus is trying to tell me through this verse in Proverbs that B'Elanna is actually right."

Neelix was a jolly, kindhearted soul and he truly hated saying or doing anything that might bring another person down. However, he knew as much as any other _Voyager _crewman just how right B'Elanna was! Neelix knew Luke needed to hear the truth, but he also knew how sensitive and overemotional he could be. He knew he would have to tread very carefully.

After pausing in thought for several long moments, Neelix finally said, "Dr. Luke, imagine that there's a doctor who's best friends with one of his patients. Now imagine that the patient is an older obese man who frequently overeats and doesn't get any exercise. He has high blood pressure, and the doctor knows that if his friend doesn't change his lifestyle, it's likely that he'll soon have a heart attack or a stroke. Now imagine that the doctor's friend is very, very sensitive about his weight. He gets very hurt, angry, and offended any time anybody tries to bring the subject up. The doctor has two choices. He can either lie to his friend and tell him that he isn't overweight and that he's as healthy and strong as a twenty-year-old. Or, he can tell his friend the truth. If the doctor chooses to lie so the man won't be offended, is he really being a friend to him?"

Luke pondered Neelix's words for a few moments, knowing how right he was. "Obviously, if the doctor lies, he was never truly the man's friend," he admitted.

"We both know that B'Elanna can be hot-tempered at times, especially when she's stressed."

"She did say that she'd gone forty-eight hours without sleep."

"But even though she probably was a little short-tempered the other day, even though she probably didn't say it in the kindest way, she actually is right."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Neelix," Luke said sarcastically, and again, he had a big scowl on his face.

"Dr. Luke, you are a brilliant, innovative physician. You're also very creative and a fine musician. You have such a passion, such a zest for life within you. I think you're a joy to be around. However, just like that obese man, you…you do have a problem."

"And what would that problem be, precisely?"

"This isn't easy to say, Dr. Luke, so I guess I'll just come out and say it. You have a problem with your ego. Sometimes…you get so wrapped up in yourself that you just can't see anybody else. Sometimes, Dr. Luke, you…sometimes you really do expect everyone else's lives to revolve around you, and sometimes you forget that other people have lives of their own, problems of their own, that they have to deal with. Sometimes, it's almost as if you just cannot be happy unless everyone around you stops living their own lives so that they can constantly shower you with praise."

In the following moments, Neelix could look at Luke's face and plainly tell that his words had really hurt him, and that made him feel awful. Dr. Luke stood up then, picked up his PADD, and said, "Well, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Neelix, I have to get back to Sick Bay. I have a lot of work I have to catch up on."

"Doctor, I really am sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean to," Neelix told him, but Luke quickly walked out of the Mess Hall without saying a word.


	3. Making Changes

**A/N: **See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.

**Chapter 3: Making Changes**

One evening, a week after Neelix's discussion with Dr. Luke, he rang the doorbell of the Captain's quarters.

"Hello, Dr. Luke," she said, greeting him with a warm smile. "Come in."

"Thank you, Captain," said Luke, and then he followed Captain Janeway inside.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, ma'am. Thank you, though."

"Well, Doctor, tell me what's on your mind. What brings you here this evening?" she asked him, but then a moment later, she remembered what she'd heard about Dr. Luke on the _Voyager _grapevine. "Oh, wait a minute. I heard something about a big fight you and B'Elanna had a few days ago. Someone said that you were still really upset about it. Is that what's bothering you?"

Luke shook his head and responded, "No, ma'am. I…well, my ego was pretty bruised from the argument I had with B'Elanna last week, but I've been doing some hard thinking these past few days and I've realized that she was right about everything she told me."

"What did she tell you?"

"The truth, Captain. Just the truth. B'Elanna and Mr. Neelix and Jesus and the book of Proverbs, they…well, they all made me think, _really think_, about the way I act. The way I treat people. I sure didn't like it at the time, but I see it now that it was for my own good. Anyway, Captain, the reason I'm here this evening…well, frankly, I…I'm here to beg your forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" said the Captain, obviously surprised. The Doctor was _not _the kind of person who typically begged forgiveness from anyone.

"Yes. As I said, Captain, I've been doing a lot of hard thinking lately, and I've realized some things. For the past seven years, you have treated me with kindness and dignity and respect. Many captains in your position would have just treated me like a slave, like I was just a piece of technology that they owned the rights to, but not you. You were so generous. You allowed me to develop my own personality, my own interests. You allowed me to learn and expand and grow. You gave me extraordinary freedom through the years. Not every captain would have treated his EMH with such consideration. And instead of saying thank you, I often stomped my foot and whined and complained like a spoiled, ungrateful two-year-old."

"What are you talking about?"

"Several examples come to mind. For one, there's the Hierarchy aliens and the Qomar."

"What do the Hierarchy aliens and the Qomar have to with this?"

"The first time we ran into the Hierarchy aliens and I defended _Voyager _by 'ordering' Tuvok to fire the 'photonic cannon,' you made one of my fantasies come true. You threw a surprise party for me in the Mess Hall and you awarded me the Starfleet Medal of Commendation. How did I thank you for your kindness and generosity? Just a few short weeks later when we ran into the Qomar, I started whining because the crew wasn't stroking my ego the way the Qomar were. I even threatened to leave all of you out here in the treacherous Delta Quadrant without a doctor. Seems I've always been like that. A few days ago, yet again, I was whining because all of you didn't drop everything you were doing and come to my piano recital and stroke my ego like I wanted. When I tried to cry to B'Elanna about it, she put me in my place very quickly, and she was right.

"Anyway, my overall point is, it's obvious that you've been a much better friend to me than I've been to you these past seven years. I've gone through a lot of pain over these past several weeks because of my experiences aboard the _Idora_, but I realize now that as painful as all of that has been for me, it's only a shadow of what _you _have been going through during our journey through the Delta Quadrant. You carry terrible, agonizing burdens constantly, but unlike me, you do it with humility and grace. You're constantly putting everybody else's needs ahead of your own. And all this time, I should have been there for you and I should have been looking for ways to ease your burdens. Instead, I fear I've only added to them by being such an egotistical jerk. I hope you can forgive me."

The Captain just remained perfectly still and silent for the next few moments, but then something happened that Luke did not expect. All of the sudden, she burst out laughing.

"Oh Luke," Captain Janeway said through her laughter, and then she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. When the embrace ended, she told him, "You worry way too much. Everybody knows that you can get pretty full of yourself sometimes. And yes, we all know that there are times when you can be egotistical and a bit of a windbag. But we know better than to take all your guff seriously. And I've never felt that you added to my burdens. As a matter of fact, you've eased them a great deal."

"I have? How?"

"I know that underneath all your bluster, you have a very kind and sensitive heart. And in addition to that, you also have a brilliant and creative mind. I know I could never hope for a better doctor for my crew than you. Knowing that I have someone like you for my Chief Medical Officer, a physician who's so very skilled and capable and passionate about the health and well-being of his patients, really puts my mind at ease."

Back when he was still a hologram, the Captain's compliments probably would have puffed up his already overinflated ego. He likely would have seen her praise as something he was owed. But now, her words really touched a deep place in his heart and he was very moved. In the following seconds, a couple of tears actually escaped from one of his eyes.

"Oh, honey," she whispered while brushing the tears away with her thumb, and again, she hugged him. "I know you've been going through a lot these past few weeks. I know it's been rough. I know."

Once their embrace ended, Luke told her, "You're right, Captain. It has been pretty rough, and I doubt it'll get any easier. It's like you said. You never get over it. You just get on with it. And I know that's what I have to do."

"You're doing great. You really are."

"I appreciate you saying that. It means a lot."

"It's true."

"But no matter how rough this experience has been on me, I know that it's nothing compared to what you've been going through these past seven years in the Delta Quadrant. No matter how heavy my burdens may be because of what I went through on the _Idora_, I see it now that _your_ burdens are far heavier."

"I'm fine," the Captain insisted.

Luke shook his head and said, "I don't think you're as 'fine' as you insist, Captain. That day in your ready room when we were talking about this, you told me that this would haunt me every day for the rest of my life; that it wasn't something that was going to get better with time; that I had no choice but to keep going in spite of the pain because I had a whole ship full of people who needed me and that that mattered more than how I felt. When you said all those things to me, I don't think you were just talking about me and my experience aboard the _Idora_. I think you were talking about all the pain you go through on the inside every day because of everything you've been through. I think that you're in agony inside every single day, but for our sake, you ignore whatever pain you're going through and you keep going regardless of how hard it is. And because you're the captain and the captain always has to be larger than life in the eyes of her crew, you never turn to any of us and ask us for emotional support when you need it. You hold everything in. You constantly neglect your mental and emotional health. You always take care of all of us, but you almost never take care of yourself. And I think it's high time that that began to change."

"Dr. Luke, again, you worry too much. I really am alright."

"Maybe so, but I still think you and I need to start making some changes in our friendship."

"What kind of changes?"

"From now on, I want you to start letting me be there for you. I mean I want to _really _be there for you. Whenever we meet on the holodeck for coffee, nine times out of ten, we end up talking all about me. We'll spend the entire coffee session talking about _my _latest lecture on the human adrenal gland. About _my _plans for another opera recital or piano recital in the Mess Hall. About _my _broken heart that I've had ever since Seven started dating Commander Chakotay. And you offer some kind words of encouragement and you listen to me and you're there for me. Now, _I _want to be the one to listen to _you_. I want you to come to me and tell me about what's on your mind. I want you to let me comfort you and encourage you whenever you're hurting. It's time we make this friendship a two-way street."

"That's very sweet of you, but I really do believe you're making a mountain out of a molehill. I don't see our friendship as being a one-way street. I've never felt that way. And I assure you that whenever I am in need of emotional support, _I will _come to you."

Luke could see it in her eyes then that she was merely putting on the Brave Captain Face, just as she usually did. He knew now from personal experience the kind of mental and emotional agony she had to deal with on a daily basis, and he knew that she wasn't as "fine" as she always insisted she was. He knew that the Captain was much like a mother to her crew and that like any mother, she probably didn't feel right about allowing one of her "children" to emotionally support her. Parents, after all, were always supposed to be the strong ones.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Luke told her firmly, but he already knew she had no intention of lowering her walls and letting him in. He knew that he had to take the initiative and break through all her stubbornness for her own good.

They talked a little while longer, and then after exchanging the usual pleasantries, they said goodnight and Luke left. However, he left the Captain's quarters more determined than ever to help her.

* * *

When someone buzzed the Captain's door at one minute after six the next morning, to say the least, she was _not _pleased. Her alarm went off at zero-six-hundred hours every morning, but it often took her several minutes before she was able to fully wake up and face the day. After procrastinating for a few long moments, Captain Janeway reluctantly got out of bed and put on her robe and slippers, and then she answered the door.

"Good morning, Captain," said Luke with a bright smile on his face, carrying a breakfast tray.

"What's all this?"

"A nutritious breakfast, courtesy of Mr. Neelix," Dr. Luke explained while walking into her quarters and setting the tray down on the dining table.

"I don't understand. Why are you bringing me breakfast?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Captain, you have a number of bad habits that you are notorious for. You constantly neglect yourself. You're terrible about skipping meals. You work twelve, sometimes fourteen and even sixteen-hour days. You barely get any sleep. You depend on a continuous stream of coffee to keep you awake and alert on the Bridge. I've tolerated these behaviors in the past, but as of today, I am officially stepping in and doing something about it. From now on, I am personally going to see to it that you eat three balanced meals a day, just like every other member of this crew does. On top of that, I am going to accompany you to the holodeck twice a week for an exercise regimen I have personally created for you. And I am also going to accompany you to the holodeck at least once a week to make certain you engage in some form of recreation."

"Dr. Luke, I appreciate all this, but–"

"No buts, Captain. You've neglected your health for many years, but I'm not going to let you get away with it any longer. As Chief Medical Officer, I officially outrank you when it comes to all medical matters, and starting right now, you are going to stop neglecting yourself and you are going to start taking care of your health. Doctor's orders. Now have a seat and dig in."

The Captain could see it in Luke's eyes that no matter what she said, he wasn't going to budge an inch. Realizing then that she had little choice, she laughed to herself, sat down, and began eating. She realized in those moments that she would obviously be spending a lot of time with Dr. Luke in the near future, whether she wanted to or not. Clearly, the days and weeks ahead were going to be very interesting, and that was an understatement.


End file.
